For years, the re-stamping of engines in Corvette circles has been an accepted practice. Thankfully, the folks at Bloomington Gold are doing something about it by setting stricter standards on how Corvettes with re-stamped engines are judged in an effort to further recognize cars still that still have their original (and originally stamped) engines.

Starting this year, the organizers of one of the largest and most respected Corvette shows have instituted four main goals pertaining to the re-stamping of Corvette engine VINs: increasing the recognition of Corvettes with original engines, decreasing the penalty for Corvettes with replacement engines, increasing the penalty for misrepresentation, and designating engine originality on judging certificates.

From the Bloomington Gold website: “The general Corvette population (including most of the owners) can’t recognize the difference between professionally reproduced stampings and OEM stampings; and have becoming increasingly confused as to which is which. This is diluting the appreciation and distinction of the OEM blocks and stamps – a trend that Bloomington Gold does not want to support.”

I agree with your quotes, but not the win-win comment. Call me naive, but I like to believe what goes around comes around -meaning the greedy con-artist will someday pay for his/her misgivings. And, as for fueling the industry, some would argue it works against it.

A car is only original once and that was the day it left the factory. There are some many re-stamped, re-bodied cars, re-framed cars very few judges even know what they are looking at anymore. A lot of the Bloomington Gold cars are a now a joke. There are more 427/437 cars on the road than were ever produced today. It is all about verified owner history, the actual build sheets and not a re-stamped motor for a made up car.

I heard a comment similar to that at BJ Auction last year, only it pertained to the ’69 Chevelle SS396. The guy (commentator) said that there were more Numbers-matching ’69 SS396s out there now than were even made. The comment was made after a ‘numbers-matching’ SS went over the chassis camera and revealed a TH350 transmission. I caught it as soon as the commentator and (unless there’s something I don’t know) I’m positive that GM didn’t stick any TH350 transmissions to a rat motor.

There’s a GTO restoration shop near me that used to advertise on their website that they would alter the numbers to give the customer the specifications that he wanted. I guess since there’s a lot of money at stake nowdays, the restorers are going to try to get as much of it as possible. As a hobbiest, that’s taken a lot of the sparkle out of the hobby for me.

For years, the re-stamping of engines in Corvette circles has been an accepted practice.

To say restamping hasbeen an accepted practice is misleading. It may be accepted by the ones who do it, but the majority of the hobby, no matter the marque, do not support having the wool pulled over their eyes, especially when fraudulent actions are used to increase selling prices. NCRS takes the right approach to engine pad and trim tag changes when judged—”your out!”

.I also imagine that there are more 57 FI Bel Airs (esp converts) and Vettes out there than ever left the factory. Personally, I see nothing wrong with a clone as long as everybody understands that it is a clone. My 57 150 sedan project with 270 hp engine is going to have a Turboglide block, but its still a 548 block and that is good enough for me. The cam is an 097 repro and although no one can see what it is I know what it is. Folks also cannot see stuff like ARP fasteners but they don’t affect performance. The 653 intake and 891 distributor are also correct for 1957 but neither are from my car, dates do not match, etc. There have to be plenty of “original” cars out there that no longer have the original block, heads, etc (to include cam, crank, pistons) due to wear out or failure for some other reason. Unfortunately, the high dollar crowd have about destroyed what was once a great grass roots hobby for the average guy.

You hit the nail on the head when you say”the high dollar crowd have almost destroyed a great grassroots hobby”. I restored old cars for 35 years but eventually stopped because of this kind of behavior. I started noticing how many FI 57′s, specially equipped Corvettes, Cobra-Jet Mustangs, etc. were turning up from nowhere. Having grown up with the late 50′s-early 60′s cars I knew this was impossible. I have owned some great old cars, but I always stated what they ACTUALLY were when I sold them. I hate to say this, but this seems to happen in a lot of good hobbies. I was never in it for the money, I just love old cars!

I find this trend, albeit not a new one, to be not only wrong, but very disturbing. The practice of “building” a car that essentually didn’t exist before or cloning a certain series, i.e COPO, Yenko, etc…etc…is fine as long as it is advertised as such..a re-creation.

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out who decided the re-stamping of engine blocks was an acceptable practice! This is just plain wrong! It just baffles the mind.

This is no different than switching VIN tags or do so to match a found build or broadcast sheet. Stricter rules should apply to the cars with re-stamped engines. They are NOT original and no matter what anyone says to the contrary, they never will be.

I have two cars (’59 Pontiac and a ’65 Ford Fairlane 500) that have the VIN stamped on the engine block that match the car and I’m proud to point that out. I know for a fact they are genuine. I would be more than livid to find out otherwise.

Like I mentioned before, I have no problem with clones or re-creations, just as long as they are advertised as such. When it comes to judging for show or sale, this needs to be disclosed.
Anyone caught trying pass it off as original should immediately disqualified and/ or placed in an appropriate class. No if ands or buts!

I feel strongly about this because I guarantee that any of you would be pissed if you had a car with it’s original equipment and lose out to a “faked” original.

THAT is why “restorations” are a joke. Almost all restorations are better than when they left the factory- except for the idiots reproducing factory over-spraying. BJ is/always was a joke. Their commentators used to commentate for quilting bees, if even that good. The best thing you can do is turn the sound off and ignore the sucker meter in the upper left corner. The only cars that shpuld be compared are “As Original/survivor” everything that is redone is a beauty contest and options or numbers are useless. The only value is in how much was spent to remake the car. It has no relation to an actual original. THAT is why I like street rods- What numbers?”

There is absolutely nothing wrong with replicating things like over-spray and chalk marks guys. It you don’t like it, that’s fine, but don’t knock cars that have it nor people who like ‘em that way. I and I trust a number of others find it interesting to see a car that looks the same way it rolled off the line -especially when the paint is right (not show-car paint with a lot of clear-coat). The latter is fine if that’s what you want, but it’s silly to do the over-spray and chalk type replications on a car that has paint that looks like a modern car. Now, that I will give you, is silly.

Look to NCRS to set the Standards for engine stamping in the Corvette hobby. You won’t put one over on the NCRS judges if the engine has fraudulent numbers. They have too many examples from which to to tell if a certain year is wrong.

I agree. A few years ago there was an extremely low mileage 1941 Lincolin at a AACA show. The car was give low points because the paint, chrome and interior were not up to current standards! Current standards? this is the examle all others should be judged against.
We have a woman in our club who has a ’64 Vette Coupe, with the typical body mods done in ’64, triple tail lights, headlights moved to grill area, removed front bumpers,etc.. She is constantly told by the Vette crowd the car is ruined.To me it’s a time capsule. Paul

I would rather have a restamped block than one brought back from the dead with welding and sleeves and whatever. All this nitpicking over not exact originality is a waste of time. Paint, valves, pistons, interior, trim, chrome, may also “look” original, but they usually are not.

This is the reason I left the GM market . Sick of all the BS out there. Last 4 cars I looked @ had restamped blocks, trim tags and even fake documentation with RT address in place of street #. These guys sell this crap docs on the internet. Even had a fake window sticker with the wrong dealer address cause they moved . Build sheets are another joke. The GM old car hobby is a sham !!!